When the original Zeppelin first made its way into the world 14 years ago, it was nothing more than something you could plug your iPhone into. Another speaker with that ugly iPhone dock built into the face of it that always seems to stick out like a sore thumb. You didn’t think anything of it back then, but now we look back at that shaking our heads wondering what we were thinking. Of course, this is opinion is likely heavily influenced by the fact that almost all of those docks are completely useless now, making use of an ancient connection that hasn’t been used in years.
Now, it is back with a whole new modern redesign. The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin speaker is now a smart wireless speaker with Amazon Alexa built-in, allowing it to control everything in your home along with everything else that comes with having a digital assistant (weather, music, news, games, reminders, etc). Much more functional than the first-generation model.
The Zeppelin is a high-resolution speaker that offers direct wireless support for Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive, and Spotify Connect. You can also connect to it via the Bowers & Wilkins Music App. It doesn’t stop there though. Having Alexa built into the speaker, you gain access to every streaming solution out there that Alexa supports (ie, Pandora, SiriusXM, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Tidal, and more).
Inside the speaker, you’ll find two 25mm double-dome tweeters that are tasked with delivering all of your high frequencies. Your mids are delivered via two 90mm FST drive units, and your lows by a 150mm woofer. Combined, giving you a full-range experience.
Then, of course, you have the fact that it is Bowers & Wilkins, which likely means it is going to sound fantastic, blowing away brands like Bose or Sonos (assumedly, as we haven’t heard this speaker ourselves yet). It is a brand that is quite well-known when it comes to delivering hi-res content for audiophiles all around the world.
With that, of course, comes a price. B&W is usually never on the affordable side and this speaker is no different. The MSRP is $799, but it is typically one of those “you get what you pay for” scenarios. Just like there is a reason why you’d choose Sonos over Insignia or Edifier, just like there is a reason you’d choose B&W over Polk Audio or even Klipsch.
The speaker is available now for purchase. We’ve made sure to include some links/buttons below so you can quickly find one. If you buy into one, do feel free to use the comments below to share your opinions.
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| Availability Available Now | Average Price* $799.00 |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
Specifications:
- Technical features
Bowers & Wilkins Music App (with Deezer, Qobuz and TIDAL support)
Apple® AirPlay 2®
Spotify Connect
Bluetooth In
Digital Signal Processing
Dynamic EQ - Bluetooth
5.0 - BT CODECs
aptX™ Adaptive
AAC
SBC - AirPlay 2 compatibility
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch with iOS 11.4 or later, Apple TV 4K or Apple TV (4th Generation) with tv OS 11.4 or later, Mac or PC with iTunes 12.8 or later - Amplifier Power output
240W - Drive Units
HF 2x 25mm (1”) double dome tweeters
MF 2x 90mm (3 1?2”) FST midrange
LF 1x 150mm (6”) subwoofer - Frequency Response
35Hz to 24kHz - Dimensions:
Height: 210mm
Width: 650mm
Depth: 194mm - Weight
6.5kg - Connections
USB–C – Service Only - Input Voltage
100V – 240V, 50/60Hz - Power Consumption
Below 2 Watts (Sleep)
